Niittymaki is basically done. Injuries got the best of him and he was relegated to 3rd string in San Jose last year and couldn't even beat out fringe NHLer Thomas Greiss for the job. I'd expect him to head home.

SliderACH wrote:A name I have seen mentioned in other threads which I like is Martin Biron.

Nothing against Hedberg, but he would be an emotional pick, not a hockey one. We need somebody who can reliably start about 20 games. Thanks for your service, Brad Johnson, but you are not that guy any longer. Not that it was the sole reason we lost the Philadelphia series by any stretch, but Fleury was burned out from playing 67 regular season games. There is a reason Brodeur, good as he is, didn't make even more Stanley Cup final appearances. Let's not let the same thing happen to Fleury while our window for championships is still open relatively wide.

Biron has been a starter in this league while also showing comfort in the backup role. He is not that old yet, and sharing the French heritage with Flower can't hurt in the room.

I'm not saying don't sign Brad Thiessen, by the way. If the brass honestly thinks he can give them 20 solid starts, then just go that route because he will come cheaper and already knows the system. But if he's not ready, and I'm not convinced he is, sign Biron.

Orpik would love Biron. It was Marty that called Orpik a cheap shot and one of the dirtiest players in the game earlier in the year after the hit on Stephan. Thats providing Orpik is still here in September. Biron would be a good choice though. I still think he's staying NY.

I wouldn't trust Thiessen to be the number 2, at least not without beating out a solid number 2 in camp. His numbers weren't bad until the end but he looked shaky even when he was winning games and while that may go away with experience, I'm not comfortable handing him the job without competition until it does.

Biron is definitely a guy I would pursue. Harding is going to look for a starter's job or a time share and he'll probably find the latter, so I doubt he'll be available to the Pens. Al Montoya is an interesting name I've seen floated out there. Younger guy, up and comer of sorts, looked good for the Isles when he played. I'd kick tires on him to see what his asking price and playing time expectancies are. Chris Mason is serviceable in a backup role; his numbers with Winnipeg weren't great but he was playing for, you know, Winnipeg. Heck, I'd even consider taking a run at the Monster, especially if they were thinking that they wanted competition between Thiessen and a newcomer in camp. The market's pretty heavy for backup goaltenders, I don't think that finding a quality backup will be a major difficulty.

I want it to be BT. With so much concern about cap room and future contracts, go with BT which is a low cost option with upside. If he doesn't pan out by the trade deadline, then you strike a deal to remedy. #stickaforkinitdone

Penspal wrote:I want it to be BT. With so much concern about cap room and future contracts, go with BT which is a low cost option with upside. If he doesn't pan out by the trade deadline, then you strike a deal to remedy. #stickaforkinitdone

The Penguins need to take this more seriously than just rotating up. I truly believe one of the main reasons Fleury got lit up in the playoffs is because he was overworked and overburdened. While some of the top goalies played just as many games as Fleury, it's about how long those stretches were. If the Pens defense isn't going to change, Fleury is gonna need someone to carry a little more slack so he's not worn down come the playoffs.

I'd grab Chris Mason, Thomas Vokoun or bring the moose back. I think they need someone with some age as the back-up and not youth. They need that stalwart with experience. I think a good back-up is as much a mental thing than a skill thing. You need a guy who can not only step in and have a solid game, but know how to react and handle high-pressure situations.

llipgh2 wrote:Hedberg actually played quite well this season for the Devils. Moose was trusted and was able to spell Uncle Daddy, leaving him fresher for the playoffs.

So there is more than just "emotion" involved when considering him as a back up to Fleury.

Tim Thomas would get blown up BIG TIME playing behind this Pens team. And he is a freaking, selfish head case. And set to earn 3 mil this season. So...no to him.

I'd like Vokoun if he was as healthy now as he claims to be.

Hedberg played 27 games, went 17-7-2 and had better stats than Bordeur...obviously it's easier to do that playing half of what the starter does, but he's solid and that's what you want. He's got experience, both playoff and regular season, and again, that's all you want. You don't want a guy you're going to be shaky if your goalie goes down with an injury. You want a guy who's been there, done that and knows the routine.

Yes, I did. I dont think he's nearly as bad as some are saying. Hes a solid veteran who would come cheap. Furthermore, he was just a suggestion. Of course there are other options such as Vokoun, Thiessen etc. I was just throwing Turcos name into the debate.

Yes, I did. I dont think he's nearly as bad as some are saying. Hes a solid veteran who would come cheap. Furthermore, he was just a suggestion. Of course there are other options such as Vokoun, Thiessen etc. I was just throwing Turcos name into the debate.

He has been as bad as people are saying. Which is why no NHL team wanted him. He really hasn't been good, or even average, in years...given how flooded the market is, why stoop down two tiers for the same basic price. A "B" level backup is ~$750K - $1M whatever, Turco is a "D" level backup for roughly the same price...what's the point?

Yes, I did. I dont think he's nearly as bad as some are saying. Hes a solid veteran who would come cheap. Furthermore, he was just a suggestion. Of course there are other options such as Vokoun, Thiessen etc. I was just throwing Turcos name into the debate.

Did you see Turco this year? He was beyond awful. I would rather go in with Theissen as the backup then Turco, and I'm not confident in Theissen at all.

Again, I didnt think Turco was that bad considering he got thrown into the fire with no work all season. Having said that...I'll take Vokoun all day long over Marty or almost any other option that was available. Excellent move by Shero.